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The War must be prosecuted with more vigor. 

E 458 
.2 

■ G98 

Copy 1 S P E E C EC 

OF 

HON. J. A. GURLEY, OF OHIO 

DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JANUARY 29, 1862. 




The House being in Committee of the Whol«» on the State of the Union, and having under 
consideration the Army Appropriation Bill — 

Mr. GURLEY said : 

Mr. Chairman : I do not rise for the purpose of making a long speech, but 
simply to oflfer a few suggestions in reference to that great struggle in which our 
Government is engajod, having for its object the suppression of treason and 
rebellion, and the pre^^ervation of a nation's honor and life. Sir, it is useless, in 
™y ju*^g™<^nt, to attempt to disguise a fact now almost everywhere recognized, 
that we must have a more active and practical war policy in this House, in the 
Cabinet, but more especially in the field, or we may prepare for a war of several 
years' duration, both domestic and foreign. As we have been going on, and as 
we are now proceeding in the military campaign, when a few more months have 
gone by, it would be no strange thing if the southern confederacy should be ac- 
knowledged by foreign Powers; and when that takes place, if ever, our Govfrn- 
ment will stand before the civilized world not only humiliated, but utterly dis- 
graced. 

But what means this long delay in attacking the re be Uiou.s forces ? Sir, our 
army has long been ready and anxiou.s to fight ; our soldiers are burnin" with a 
'desire to 'strike at the traitors — the madmen who have risen up against the best 
Gov»nment in the world — and our subordinate oflScers are chafing and pantinw 
for thf battle-field ; but what avails all this? They have earnestly cast about for 
a bold and daring leader, ready for the great contest ; but where is he ? Sir, 
echo answers in the far distance— w/icre is he? It is painful to confess the real 
truth on this subject at this late day. Thus far they and the country have looked 
in vain for a commanding general — a commander-in-chief, I mean — who has 
exhibited the will and the requisite enterprise and genius to lead our forces on to 
victory. But why not fight? What lion is that which stands in the way ? Is 
it feared that if we do fight somebody will get hurt? or is the ghost of Bull Run 
still hovering about and haunting the minds of our commanding generals? Sir 
we have lost more men in camp by orJinary disease and sickness durinf^ the 
last five months than we should have lost, in all human probability, in a half 



J -r 






2 . G,'\X. 

dozen general engagements in the field. Not only so; hundreds of millions of 
njoney have been spent, and one of the largest armies of the world gathered, only 
to lemaiu, it would seem, comparatively idle, and to become weak and demoralized 
by iuaciivity in camp. So much, however, is now certain : if we would any 
lon^^r have the respect of our own people; if we would continue mighty in the 
means toproecute this war, and receive the moral support of thie world, we must 
delay no longer, but strike out boldly for victory, and trust the result to good 
powder, strong arms, well-aimed guns, to G''d and his providence. Far better is 
it to meet with occasional reverses and defeats than to remain in the inglorious 
and passive condition of the past; for who does not know that our army will 
never become au overwhelming power till our men are practiced in the field under 
the fire of the enemy ? 

We must now fight or be disgraced ! Yes, sir, fight as only men can who are 
on the side of justice, right, and human freedom — otherwise our people will 
become discouraged and disgusted, the Treasury bankrupt, and the Government 
be brought into utter contempt. 

Do you reply that there is a general who stands in the way of the onwurd march 
of our troop*, who holds in firm check more than half a million of men ? Then 
I say ti.ke him out of the way, and let his place be occupied by another, if this is 
the only remedy for so terrible an evil. Generals are nothing of themselves in 
ihis great contest, when thrown into the balance against the honor and integrity 
of the Union. Sir, if the angel Gabriel had command of our forces, and he failed 
to do his whole duty, and march out against the enemy, I would at once petition 
that court to which he holds allegiance, and ask for his instant dismissal. 

This war has reached a point where kid gloves, pleasant words, and gilded 
promises are of no further use. The exigencies of the hour demand hard words^ 
and still harder blows; for remember, this cjntest must close, either in the ruin 
of a Republic that has filled the eyes of the best men of the world with admira- 
tion, and possib y the destruction of civil and religious freedom in America, or 
in the more perfect supremacy of law and order, and the renewed stability of our 
cherished institutions. I have firm faith in the latter result, for I long since 
learned that great revolutions move the woild forward, but backward never. 

JMr. Chairman, it is a souod maxim, I believe, that we should learn of our ene- 
mies whenever we can ; and in pursuance of that I shall now ask the Clerk to 
read an extract frmii a Richmond (Virginia) paper, which, I am sure, will help 
us to realize souie of our military errors and blunders, and prepare the way for 
souieihiug better in the future. 
The Clerk read, as follows : 

" The Rebels Prompting the Federal Government. 

"The develnpments of the last four weeks of the war have been the most remarkable that have occurred 
during iis eutire progress. The beginning of Deteml)er saw the Yankees in full force, apparently ready for 
decisive battle at all iIik inii'frtant i.oiuts on the irontier. On the Potomac they had the best appointed army 
on ihe 1 ontinent. sta;e ' by their own autlimiiies t<. be two hnndred thousand ftronp. In Kenlncky they had 
mast-d tn^ui lier twi inuntue lorce< of tliiriy to tiriy ihimsaud each, which menaced Columbus and Bowling 
Green, ana all iiinic'ti.iis pointed with cerniiiity loan imniwliate advance npun our lines Ht a time when we 
were wiak and jioorly aide to withstand assault fioni heavy columns. Z'liicoffer wasp^eB^ed befure Cumberland 
Gap by a face nioie tn»n double his own; I'ound Gap Was at the mercy of Nfl.son. having only a thousiind 
men to oppo.'^i' agaill^t ten thousand. Kosencrans w^sun tlie Gaul.-y with an army which he now confesses to 
to have bei-n flfi. en tin u-a d strong, against Floyd, having only twenty-three hundred. Knynclds was on Cheat 
jjouutaia witU fi»e lUousaud, o^-posed by Johnson, wiili only twelve or fourteen hundred; and Sherman had 



3 

ruecftded in UmdiiMfiftem or twenty thousand men at Bttufort, rphiU wr had in ITt/ri region at the I'mn hutaft-w 
thoumnd forces. UUU better than militia, poorly provided toiVi arms and ammunilton. And. to crown all. ttw 
splendid weather invited them to the chiir>:e. . „,, ^ j- >.i . 

"Then wis presented thn golden npportunitv t> J^tnfee at ercrv '>no of tlipoo nmn*'. lin''! e.ifctre. filows, 
stricken then simultanentuly by ,,11 their armes.cnuUl not have fniUd to crush nnrftrennth in sern-al ffinrt'r<. "nU 
putaqloomy face upon our afuirs. Smces"! a- Cohiii\l>u< iitid Hnwii.iR U'ei-n wo .11 hiv l.M..n nliii •-' niuiiliil . IM, 
to our fortuiies in the WeRt. Biicre-s "t Ciiinl-evlan ( n-d l-.-nnd lia-.s \v....M h^vo rn' our '■••n' ecio » wun 
Tenneooee and Kentnokv irrptriev..biy. Sivcess in ra:itiii-ins our iirmv in 'lie Kfinawhii womm i,.,ve i..ui op-n 
all middle Western Viisinia next sprinfr to t>'e -..sy inv .si.m ..f ihe e.-emy. A vi>inro„s P'is'i from Iff^^if^ 
upon the Charleston and &ivannah railroad woidd have separated those two cities, and cut our army of the seaboara 
in two. ,1 J ft 

"Hut the enemy had ha the e ilden opportunity «io thrm^h thoir fin^ors. T'le^l hnie nllmuvl uf time to 
make good our defences in every threatened quirter. The enero' "»'the aouihei-n i pople has ••een iiro„pef| hy ine 
imminent danger. «nd we are now enfo in every point «-h»r« hef.re we wnre xo vuln.-r hie. 0!t.dan.7jr w 
passed, and rve are now nt liberty to specuMe upon the blindness or imhecility which prevented the enemy from 
usintf an opportunity which w'U never return to him. . , , , »j . ti,„ 

"to whHt cause is the envmv's failure everywhrre to advnn-e attributable? It c'^nrly was not due to the 
want of men, to the want of supplies. ..r to the want of ireparation in faci ities of every .-liMr cter. No troops 
were ever better armed, befer ch thed. ^r belter fu'nished with irovi-i .ns and amninn'tio... Thi< was n< t only 
the ra-e with particular corps, but was the case with all. And vet. t>iomrh fully prepared for effentive operationB, 
though the whole world was exnectirg heavy Mow.s to be strn.k i.nd derisive results to W. »■ hieyeM. tneir 
armies everywhere either remained n^ck still, or ignominiously and most stran/ely and suddenly stampeaea 
from an imagin.iry and non-i'ursuini: f^e. ,. » . c u. »»,— 

"There ran but" be one solution f>r this most strange phenomenon. The Yankees do not enlist to flcht they 
eiili-t only todraw pay. The cess;,tion -f southern tra.leliavin-put a stop to their fa- to-ies and meehanical trades, 
the operHtives have had no other means of livelihood iha" enlistment ; the Heiks and foremen have, under the 
same necessity, taken lieutonan'C'es and captaincies, an-1 the bosses are forred to play colonel--^ They "aye all 
gLi.ie into the Army as a mea.is of live'ihoo 1. and without any s^rt of in'en'ion to throw awav ih ir lives, l hey 
to^.k to the Aruiv to keep body and soul together, ani without the remotest tte ught of emp'oying It.at me'h 'tt 
for separating the two Accordingly, when McOe'lan orders an alvancefom 'he P tonne a he has sain to 
have done repeatedly, these weH-fed. well-d-.thed. well-paid, and snbuied me- of war persi-ter.tly do n-t mar-M. 
So in Kentucky, where they li>d every opportunity for a liciory ; and s., at Reaulort w' en the i aire rf-a eci nv 
their l.iuding invited an advance All around the fr. ntier ihev exh bit this same f u/M 'egard f r l.fe and 
comfort, and the same stolid immobi ity u..d-r orders for an advance W? i-gad the last fuur weeks as .ie-isiv« 
of the war, not merely by its results, or rather bar-e-n.'Ss of results f ivora'Oe to the « ..my but l>v i s c ear 
developments of the tact tha' the Yankees have enlisted in the Army for a living and with a fixed objection to 
hard fighting."— iftc/imond Dispatch, January 2. 

Mr. GUllLEY. Kvery member present and the whole country will recognize 
much truth in this mw-papcr article. We have let slip golden opportunities for 
crushing out this rebeliion, and for achieving brilliant victories ; we have failed 
to follow up signal .successes when once landed upon the enemy's shores ; but the 
declaration that our men entered the army for pay, and will not fight, we all know 
to b3 as fahe as falsehood itself The great and only cause of dissatisfaction 
among our troops is, that ihey are not permitted to strike down the rebels. Call 
for men for a dres^ parade, and about five hundred of a regiment will appear; 
make a call in camp for a regiment to go on duty where finhting is to be done, 
and nearly every man will respond, " Here am I." This I know to be true; but 
there are loud and bi ter complaints, whether just or unjust, T will not say here, 
that the comman ler-in-chief, the general at the head of our forces, has held them 
back for months when they have often seen victory right before them. 

Sir, I prefer no charges against him. That he is a good and loyal man I have 
no doubt ; that he is a brave officer is perhaps true ; and that he is a skillful 
commander I shall not now question ; but that man docs not live, that man does 
breathe, in my judgment, who e-m command with that success required six hun- 
dred thousand men, scattered over a territory extending over two thousand rai'es ; 
and yet he has been holding the thread that guides and controls this vast body of 
men, larger than any man of modern times has commanded. Indeed, sir, the 
destiny of this great Republic has long hung upon the volition of his will, for the 
army that must decide the weal or woe of this country only moves as his mind 
directs. It requires no great military science to decide, it requires nothing 
higher than common sense to comprehend the fact, that it impossible for a man 
tttanding upon the banks of the Potomac to guide and control an army in detail 



a thousand or two miles distant so as to successfully meet^the sudden exigencies 
that must arise, requiring almost instant movements and attacks upon the enemy. 
Nothing short of omniscience and omnipresence would qualify him for so vast a 
responsibility, and so great a work. No other Government invests its generals with 
such unlimited authority ; and_^although France and England have some of the 
best trained, best educated, and ablest generals in the world, no man has been 
foand higli enough, no man has been found great enough to receive the supreme 
command of even three hundred thousand soldiers. Sir, the idea that the destiny 
of this mighfy Republic, with its army.of half a milliun men, with its great wealth, 
its multiplied interests, its hopes and fears, should exclusively rest with a single 
general in the field, and he an untried man, with almost unlimited power, is 
not only anti-republican and alarming, but monstrous •^^o the last degree We 
see the necessity daily of some division in the military power ; of its being divided 
by the Cominander-in Chief among competent generals, widely separated, so as to 
bring out einalation, enterprise, and give the -^spring to'deeds of daring and 
genuine chivalry. 

A part of the tremendous burden thrown upon the shoulders of our young gen- 
eral should be removed and divided in a way to call out the best energies of the 
best officer.-, aud at the same time secure general unity of action. Had this been 
done months ago, I have nodoubt that the^success of our arms would have been 
as signal as glorious ; but thus far our commanders appear to have been the vic- 
tims of some fixed, unalterable plan, the fruit of one mind, which plan, after all, 
has succeeded in accomplishing only one marked result, namely, preventing five 
hundred thousand men from attempting precisely what they came together to 
accomplish — to fight and whip the enemy. They have not been permitted to 
move forward, however certain the prospect of victory in the minds of officers in 
immediate command, lest some favorite scheme should be marred or ruined by 
precipitating a general engagement. 

Will it be said that no one can know so well when a division of the army 
may safely advance as •he commanding general in Washington.? That^may be 
where he has an immediate supervision ; but why should officers of equal ability, 
who are in the valley of the Mississippi, a thousand miles distaut, svith their men, 
who are familiar with the country and the position of the enemy, and know from 
personal observation just when aud where to strike, be compelled to wait for spe- 
cial orders from here before they can make an advance ? 

Sir, I wish just in this place to notice one remarkable fact connected with this 
war. Eight out of tsn of the subordinate officers and soldiers in our army, the 
very men who are to bare their breasts before the fire of the enemy, the very men 
who must receive the shock of battle and he rain of bullets, are precisely those 
who complain most, because they are not permitted to go forward and fight. 
Tho.se upon the ground, and who see and know the danger, and realize the strengih 
of the rebels, ought to be able to form a correct judgment as to whether they 
can whip them or not. Leave the question to them, and ten out of twelve would 
vote that there has been no necessity for the delay of the last four months. 



But what is that great plan which has stood in the way of our onward more- 
ment? I reveal no secrets, I presume, for I shall only repeit what the news- 
papers have published, and we all know they never tell stories, only indulge in 
occasiunal flights of fancy 1 I shall s ate what I think is true; that the plan was to 
strike at all points at once — a simple impossibility ; make a simultaneous attack 
upon the enemy east and west. Every arrangement was to be made in Missouri^ 
Kentucky, and Virginia, and preparations perfected as far as could be, so that, as by 
a single tick of the clock, all would rush upon the enemy at once and crush the 
monster rebellion at a single blow. What has been the practical working of this, 
or if not this, of any other plan ? Our army has been live months getting ready 
for its realization — waiting impatiently for the nice and precise adjustment of all 
parts of the machinery of this scheme; but as the enemy is not alike weak in all 
places, being strong in some and weak in others at any given time, we are as far from 
its execution as we were last summer ; and whatever our array now accomplishes 
must be accomplished as the troops in Kentucky have recently and gloriously 
done, not by a signal from Washington — if they wait for that they will never do 
anything — but by striking boldly at the enemy when and where you can find 
him. So far as the Potomac is concerned, however, tkc are compelled to say, 
"The harvest is past, th« summer is ended, and we are not saved." We must 
now drop all such impracticable plans and fight, or be called a nation of 
cowards. 

Why should the great army of the Union remain idle when the people every- 
where, soldiers and civilians, are imploring for and demandine active movements 
against the rebels in the South ? Sir, the people of p^ast Tennessee, for example, 
have long been asking for ten thousand men to save their part of the State from 
the desolating hand of the rebels, and their wives and children and families from 
insult, persecution, and starvation. How have their prayers been answered ? 
By an announcement that we have no troops that can be spared from the great 
army ; yet there are absent from the Potomac — or were a few days ago, and this 
is about the average at all times — on business or plea.'-ure or other objects, nearly one 
thousand officers and over seven thousand privates, a great army of themselves, and 
as many as were required to save Tennessee, and for the lack of which large num- 
bers of citizens have been imprisoned, shot, and hung; and still larger numbers 
driven from their homes and hunted like the wild beasts of the forest. Why were 
not eight or ten thousand men from this great army sent at an early day on an 
errand so important, and which would have secured the great railroad over which 
the rebels carry their troops and supplies? Why, in these times of peril, give 
leave of absence to eight thousand soldiers, and yet plead the want of men in 
reply to a people who chose to sacrifice all they had in this world rather than 
desert the flag of the Union ? Unlike us, they were in the power of the infuriated 
confederates; in the very jaws of the lion, but boldly dared them to do their worst; 
and yet we have left these loyal people to sufi"er, to hide in the caves and the 
moiiiit.iins, and even starve, under the plea that we have no army to send to their 
rescue, when some two hundred thousand well fed troops in this neighborhood have 



been three or four months begging and pleading to be led aga'npt tbe enemy 
rather than pine away in camp. To show the condition ind character of these 
people in Eastern Teiinessee I will as-k to have read an extract of a letter d;)ted 
January 15, written from Kentucky, and published in tbe New York Tribune. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

"Otir bri^de has two regimentfi of Tenneeseeans. The history cf these men is truly a fad one; compelli'd to 
flee from their homes enrly in the gnnimer, leaving their families hebind. their property has been coi fiscal e'l. 
Miny were rompelled to leave their hHrvest standing in the field and flee to save their li^e'. They rame to the 
Slat- and asked f r arms 'o liefend their hooie'; they were informed that they rould '^nly be supplied upon the 
condition of becoming soldiers of the United States. To this they iheei fully consented, lioj ing thereby to obtain 
Fpeedy .sue. or from the GoTernment, whii h was iiromi»ed them; 1 ut some six month-v have passed and here they 
Btill are, HUxiouRiy anaiting the auspicious moment when aid shall be giren them, with orders to march into 
Ea^t Tennessee to ransom their homes and families from rebel rule. 



"These are the neighbors and kinsman of Johnson and Mat.nakh. and in common with them »re exiles from 
the StHie of their birth. The story <f their siifferirgs and wrongs is truly heart-rending. They are brave, 
generous, and obedient; yet why sh' uld tliey not he impatient at de a\». when almost daily sccounts reach their 
ears of ontraaes committed fn their familie-- — of murdeied wives a^d /-tarving chihirei ? .^mnng them are 
proud men of sober a ears and grav hair, as well a* fiery youth. 'Ihey are not a collection of the rabble, but 
men of sober thoughts and quiet demeanor. I'hysical'y,"'h°y are of a noble form find well developed. They 
make good fighting men, ready and willing to endure aimost any hadship if they can only be led against the 
enemy. But the tidium of encampment to tht-m ie unenduiable. They have little patienie to drill — their idea 
is work ; and the best drill they can have, in their opinion, is to have an equal chance at the enemy. In such a 
drill they delight. Who would not fight for the homes of such men?" 

Mr. WICKLIFFE. Will the gentleman allow u>e to inquire the date of that 
letter ? 

Mr. GURLEY. It is dated Januuy 15, 1862. 

But we need not go to other regions for illustrations of 'he want of enterprise 
and daring on the part of the controling and%icting manager of the Army. Sir, 
I am informed, oh authority which I am not permitted to que.'^tion, that some 
three weeks ago from ten to fiffet n thousand confederates, in the nt ighborhnod of 
Romney, were virtually in tbe power of a division of our Army, numbering about 
forty thousand. General Lander sent a messenger to General Kelly, snying in 
substance. "We have got them now certain — ^join uie;" and General Kelly, 
without the knowledge tf such a messenger, sent one of his own bearing a similar 
message, showing that both concurred in the same thing. Meanwhile, one of tliese 
generals telegraphed General Ranks to advance on one side, while he advanced 
upon the other; but, unfortunately, telegraphed at rhe same time 'o headquarters 
in reference to what was jroing on, when an answer came in the form of an order 
not to advance, accompanied with a severe reprimand for even the suggestion; 
and this, too, when able officers on the ground saw, or thought they saw, more 
than ten thousand men completely in their power. The capture « f this army, 
which was almost su; rounded by an immense force of ours, about for'y thousand 
men, would have fired the whole country with en'hu-iasm, and lifted the nation up 
from a general distru-t if the efficiency of tho.se in high command. That The 
battle would have sadly broken in upon some great plan, or favorite scheme, is 
quite probable; it might have finished the great anaconda, as the newspapers have 
expressed it; but it must not be forgotten that this mammoth reptile, that was to 
draw in his folds and cru.-h the rebellion at a single .-weep of hi< tail, has already 
swallowed up all our ';ontemplafed victories and gorged himself with the subs'ance 
of the people to no purpose. Sir, there is no use to disguise the fact, the com- 
manding general is responsible for the inaction of our Army. 

Less than thirty days ago a tried general in Missouri sent firw^ird several 
thousand cavalry against General Price, and was about to follow with t< n thousand 
infantry, with every prospect of success — with almost a certainty a.> an officer 
expressed it who well knew the strength of the enemy ; but all at once an order 
came from a superior officer there, to hal' — to go no further Is not this charac- 
teristic of the whole war ? Why, sir, the brilliant battle of Frederickton, Missouri, 
was fought without orders from the commanding general in Mi-souri, if not against 
them, which latter I believe was the fact. 



Mr. KELLOGG, of Illinois. I desire to ask the gentleman from Ohio whether 
the baale of Frederickton was in fact fought against orders, and if so, what and 

whose orders ? . , , ., t i ^ » *u 

Mr. GUKLEY. I do not propose to go into the details, i only state tbe 

fact as I understand it. ^ ^ t u n 

Mr. KELLOGG, of Illinois. If the gentleman states the fact, 1 would lik- 
exceedingly if the gentleman would state the order, and who it came from, not 
to fight that battle. 

Mr. GURLEY. I decline to go into details. 

Mr. KELLOGG, of Illinois. Then I ask the gentleman to permit me to say 
that in my judgment he is mistaken. 

Mr. GUllLEY. I stated that the battle was fought without orders from the 
commanding general, as I understood, but upon orders given by General Curtis. 
It was without the order of the commanding general, who was at that time far 
away from St. Louis. I have so understood, and, in fact, I saw the order tele- 
graphed by the commanding general himself, for the return of reinforcements 
sent in that direction. 

The recent battle in Kentucky, which resulted so gloriously, was fought only 
when our troops were attacked ; no officer from here directed an attack at that 
time, although it was undoubtedly in the great plan that they should be ready, 
and possibly the commanders had leave to advance as they might judge best. 

Sir, only give our western generals full power to march against the enemy at 
will, and the war, so far as the Southwest is concerned, will close in ninetj days 
with the possession of the Mississippi river from our northern frontier to the 
Gulf Untie the red tape about their hands, and they will soon find their way there, 
or perish in the attempt ; for never were soldiers in such terrible earnest, as ours 
are in the West to day. Say to the generals, push on your columns: march for- 
ward as you will, but crush the rebellion at all hazards, and it will as surely be 
done as that the Father of Waters moves towards the sea. 

But I shall be told, perhaps, that this would be unwise, because we are now 

just on the eve of a grand forward movement. Ah ! sir, how long and often has 

that forward-movement song been sung? How many months have the people 

been beguiled with it? It was to come as soon as the hot weather had gone; it 

was to come with the cool autumn breeze ; it was sure to come when Providence 

smiled upon us and lengthened out our charming fall weather into a winter month ; 

but now when is it to come ? Oh ! as soon as the mud is dried up on the other 

side of the river, which is now deep enough to swallow tbe large.-t battery, which 

will be, I reckon, about next June, and then it will be too hot. I fear that the 

weaiher will never be just right for us till we realize more fully our responsibilities 

and danger; and should the commanding general hold a check over our impetuous 

soldiers till spring, and keep them at a safe distance from the enemy, and refuse 

to permit them to gather up ten or fifteen thousand men when they almost ask to 

be caught ; if he shall still permit the blockade to progress on the lower Potomac, 

almost under the eye of the General Government, our reputation abroad for courage 

and r-bivalry will soon be equal to that of the Chinese ; and yet there are no braver 

soldiers in the world than those who are now in our camps, and who are bitterly 

bemoaning the fate that prevents them from doing the work they were sent to do. 

Why, sir, there has been no time within the last three months, in the judgment 

of fir^t class Army officers, when ten or fifteen thousand men could not have quietly 

gone from here to Western Virginia and finished the war there ooce for all. They 

would have hardly been missed till ready to return. A hundred thousand soldiers 

would have leaped fur joy at the order to go; but no, this most likely would have 

infringed upon some great plan, and stirred up the great anaconda too soon ! 

Sir, the blockade of the Potomac alone, under the eye of some two hundred 
thousand well armed and equipped soldiers, and within sound almost of cannon 




^^ 8 

012 028 066 1' — 

from the proud Capitol of the nation, is enough to crimson the cheek of every 

American, and cause him to hide his head for very shame. 

Mr. Chairman, I am very sure that the Commander-in-Chief, the President, is 

as anxious as any man in the country that the war shall be prosecuted with vigor ; 

but from necessity he must rely mainly upon the judgment of the first military 

ofl&cer in its management. While I know that he is behind none in zeal for 

forward movements, I presume that he does not feel justified in setting up his 

judgment as the standard for military operations ; and his multiplied duties leave 

bim little time to study the plans of battles. No man in the nation, however, is 

more anxious for tho speedy suppression of the rebellion, and he will second, I 

have no doubt, every daring and wise eiFort to accomplish that object. 

Mr. Chairman, no (me can dislike more than 1 do to criticise in terms of 
severity the conduct of this war ; I would rather a thousand times praise every 
act of the commanding general ; but this is no time and this is no place for flat- 
tering and deceitful words. Sir, it is a serious question with many honest minds 
whether this Congress, this Government, and this great nation are not to-day 
sleeping upon a volcano. Murmurs, deep and strong, are everywhere coming up 
from the people against the inaction of the army ; they are amazed and grieved 
that the most intelligent body of soldiers in the world are restrained by a single 
hand from vindicating the honor of our flag upon the battle-field. Meanwhile, 
the public Treasury is being drained for their support ; the fleets of three power- 
ful nations are nearing our shores, and if our military do not rouse themselves to 
speedy action, and strike quick, sharp, and heavy blows, some fine morning those 
fleets may make a visit to our southern coast, politely announce to us that cotton 
is an absolute necessity in Europe, and the blockade must continue no longer. 
All this is not only possible, but in the contingency of continued inactivity, and 
the standing menace of the rebel army against this capital, almost at its very 
gates, highly probable. 

But I see at last a streak of daylight ahead. I see it resting upon the chair of the 
new Secretary of War, a man who, if report speaks truly, is like brave Ben WadE) 
of Ohio— a good combination of Old Hickory and Zack Taylor He certainly 
appears to have a mind of his own, a brain to plan, and an iron will to execute ; 
and if I am not greatly mistaken, he will push on thi^ war with all the vigor that 
characterized the people in raising so vast, so mighty an army. Let us thank 
God and take courage, and unite all our energies with those of the new Secretary, 
as well as the Chief Magistrate's, that we may bring it to a speedy and glorious 
termination. 



McGILL k WITHEROW, Printers, Washington, D. C. 



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